Combined brief case and portable lectern



A. CESARONI, JR

COMBINED 'BRIEF CASE AND PORTABLE LECTERN Feb. 11, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1. 1957 INVENTOR. Awnm/vv 05:40am, ./.e.

AT'UIQNEYS.

Feb. 11, 1958 A. CESAIRONI, JR

- COMBINED BRIEF CASE AND PORTABLE LECTERN 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1957 FIG.

IN V EN TOR. ANTHONY CAFSMONI, J2 BY ATTOlP/VE Y8 United States Patent COMBINED BRIEF CASE AND PORTABLE LECTERN Anthony Cesaroni, Jr., Apalachicola, Fla.

Application February 1, 1957, Serial No. 637,764

2 Claims. (Cl. ISO-1.6)

This invention relates generally to carrying cases and is more particularly concerned with an improved brief case including means whereby said brief case may be readily converted into a portable lectern.

Students when utilizing a library, professors during lectures, for example, and travelling lecturers are often faced with the inconvenience of not having proper facilities for disposing their books, notes, etc..in a properly oriented position for the purpose of reading the same while lecturing, studying, etc. Additionally, when a student sits at a library table and stares at a book which is disposed in substantially horizontal relationship thereon, the words generally become distorted after awhile and accordingly this may be detrimental to the students eye sight as well as tending to deter the student from studying.

A primary object of invention inconformance with that set forth is to provide a combined brief case and portable lectern wherein the brief case may be utilized for transporting books, lecture notes, etc. and may be subsequently disposed in a position to provide a lectern wherein the books, notes, etc. are disposed in a substantially properly oriented position relative to the person viewing the same.

Another object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide in a combined brief case and portable lectern of the character involved means whereby the opposed front and rear panels of a brief case may be disposed in diverging angular relationship, being retained in such relationship wherein the back panel of the brief case will provide a support base for a lectern, the front panel of the brief case incorporating transverse support means extendible laterally from the outer surface thereof for having disposed thereon the lower edge of a book or the like when the book is disposed in juxtaposition on the outer surface of the brief case.

And yet a still further object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide a combined brief case and portable lectern of the character involved which is readily and economically manufactured, easily used, and highly satisfactory, efiicient, practical and acceptable for the purpose intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequently become apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel combined brief case and portable lectern, the same being shown in a condition of use as a brief case;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the novel brief case showing the same in a condition of use as a portable lectern;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 3--3 of Figure 1;

2,822,847 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the plane of line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of Figure 2, showing a detail of the support plate utilized for supporting the lower edge of a book, lecture notes or the like thereon when the brief case is utilized as the portable lectern.

Referring to the drawing in detail, indicated generally at 10 is a brief case including a body member 12 formed with opposed front and rear panel sections 14 and 16, respectively, integral at their lower edges with a transverse bottom 18. The brief case may be constructed of any suitable material, however, as shown in the exemplary embodiment the front panel 14 incorporates a substantially rigid plate 20 of plastic, aluminum, etc. covered by a suitable covering material 22 such as leather, plastic etc. The bottom incorporates a substantially rigid plate 24 covered by a suitably secured material 26. The rear panel 16 is substantially longer than dion pleated side panels 38 individual panel sections 40 of which diverge from the bottom 18 and taper from the upper edges of the front and rear panels 14 and 16 to the bottom, accordingly permitting the front and rear panels 14 and 16 to be disposed in diverging angular relationship as clearly seen in Figure 2, for example.

If desired, the front panel 14 may have suitably secured on the inner surface thereof an auxiliary panel 42, see Figure 4, for holding therein a pad of paper, pencils, etc.

Suitably secured on an inner surface portion of the front panel 14 adjacent the upper edge thereof and in opposed relationship on the inner surface of the rear panel 16 is one leg of an L-shaped support bracket element 42, see Figure 3, for example, having a transverse pivot pin 44 extending therethrough, said pivot pin 44 defining a transverse axis of rotation substantially parallel to the general plane of the front and rear panels and pivotally supporting thereon opposite ends of elongated strap members 46. The other ends of the strap members 46 are transversely apertured and overlie each other having extending therethrough a suitable lock nut-and-bolt assembly 48 which may be utilized to retain a predetermined angular relationship between the elongated straps 46, and accordingly retaining a predetermined adjusted angularity between the front and rear panel sections as seen in Figure 2 when the brief case is utilized as a portable lectern.

The front panel section 14 has extending transversely in the outer surface thereof an elongated slot or recess 50 which will receive therein an elongated support plate 52 when the brief case is utilized for carrying articles as seen in Figure 1, for example, said support plate 52 being disposed in laterally extending relationship relative to the outer surface of the panel 14 for receiving thereon the lower edge of a book, lecture notes, etc. when the brief case is utilized as a lectern as seen in Figure 2. Opposite ends of the support plate 52 incorporate angularly bent support ear portions 54, see Figure 5, transversely apertured and receiving therethrough a suitable pivot pin element 56 which extends into the side edge of the panel 20 of the front panel section 14.

Thus there has been disclosed a novel combined brief case and portable lectern which incorporates all the desirable features of each of the devices, wherein the means utilized for providing a portable lectern in no way interferes with the facility of use of the device as a brief case.

The foregoing is considered to be illustrative only. of the principles of the. invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes':will readily occur to" those .skilledin the art, it is not desired to limit the invention -to the exact construction'and operationishownrandrdescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifieationsand equivalents. maybe resorted to, fallingiwithinnthe-scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A brief case including front and: rear .panels and a transverse bottom,-expansible side panelsi closing the ends of the brief case permitting the front -andrear panels to be disposed in diverging angularrelation'ship fromzthe bottom of the brief case, collapsible bracemeanseritending between opposed portions of the front andaiear -pa'nels for maintaining the panels in their diverging'angular rela- 'tio'nshipwhen the brief case is open and used as a portable lectern, and displaceable support means secured'On' the front panel. in laterally extendible relationship from -'-the outer surface thereof for receiving and -supportirig*the lower edge of a book or'the like when thebaele panel is "used as a support base in juxtaposed relation'on"a"horizontal support surface, said I displaceable support' means comprising an elongated plate "element pivotally connected to the outer surface of the front panehbe'lowthe upper edge thereof, saidfrontpanel including a transverse elongated recess portion'co'nforming to the'sha'pe' or the plate element for receiving the samejthereimwherithe device is utilized as a briefcase.

2. A brief caseincluding front andrearl panels and a transverse bottom, expansible side panels closing the ends of the brief case permitting the front and rear panels to be disposed in divergingangular relationship from the bottom of the brief case, collapsible brace means extending between opposed portions of the front and rear panels for maintaining the panels in their diverging angular relationship when the briefcase is open and use as a portablelectern, and displaceable support means secured on the 'frontpaneliir'laterally extendible relationship from the outer surface thereof for receiving and supporting the lower edgerofr.aahdokfor-thellike when the back panel is used as a support base in juxtaposed relation on a horizontal support shifaee; said displaceable support means comprising an elongatedtlplate element pivotally connected to the outer surface of the front panel below the upper edge thereof, said front panel including a transverse elongated recess portion conforming to the shape .of theeplateixelement forreeeiving the same therein when the device isgu'tilized a's 'abrief; ease, saidtcollapsible'brace meanscompri'si'ng a foldablef-ibracef including a pair of elongated straps pivoted .at :opposite ends on opposed innerisurface .portionstofl the front and back panels on an axis of:rotation parallel =to the general -plane of said -panels,1the: otherfndst of said. straps b'eing pivoted to each other ronxan axis/ ofnr'otation parallel to the-previonsly :rrientioried iaiies of-rota'tion.

-:.Refereuces-Cited-inthe file of this patent ui zn izn emixes PATENTS .Felice May 1, 1956 

